Supervisors vote to establish Third-party Plan Check program in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has voted to establish a Third-party Plan Check (TPC) program that will give permit seekers the option to get their plans reviewed primarily by a consultant they hire, rather than county staff.
The program, proposed by Supervisors Manu Koenig...
Guest Column | Rain! Rain! Rain!
On Jan. 14, Scotts Valley joined other local jurisdictions when City Manager Mali LaGoe issued a Proclamation declaring a local emergency, to be ratified by the City Council. This declaration was based on the presence of flooding, downed trees, power outages, retaining wall failures,...
Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair postponed due to severe weather conditions
UPDATE (May 2): Due to upcoming severe weather, the Scotts Valley Multicultural Fair on Saturday, May 4, at Skypark has been postponed. A new date for the third annual event is set for Sept. 7.
***ORIGINAL STORY***
The United States of America is the ultimate melting...
San Lorenzo Valley man accused of new imprisonment charge, witness tampering
A 37-year-old San Lorenzo Valley man who was already facing felony rape and violent false imprisonment charges has been accused of additional offenses prosecutors say he committed earlier this month.
But for several days in a row, the defendant, Michael Richard Kelly, who’s back in...
Scotts Valley High School brings drama with winter play
Scotts Valley High School’s drama club is at it again, as they prepare to present their one-act winter play, “Our Place,” at the new Scotts Valley Performing Arts and Cultural Center (SVPACC), located next door to the library, on Saturday, Feb. 25.
Like all winter...
News Briefs | Published April 11, 2025
Valley Churches United begins 2025 Bucks For Hunger drive
Valley Churches United is kicking off its 35th annual Spring Bucks For Hunger fundraising drive with a mailing that community residents are receiving this week.
Its year-round food pantry success comes from community support that helps fill...
Santa Cruz County Civil Grand Jury tackles housing crisis
A new report from the Civil Grand Jury takes square aim at the affordable housing crisis in Santa Cruz County and demands local planners do more to tackle the problem.
The document, published June 2, finds that while municipal officials have a good understanding of...
Scotts Valley PerSisters mobilizes democracy one postcard at a time
Walk into the Starbucks at Graham Plaza in Scotts Valley on a Friday morning, and you’ll be met with more than just mochas and macchiatos.
Each Friday, members of the PerSisters, an all-female grassroots letter-writing campaign group, gather to handwrite 200-250 postcards to voters all...
Ben Lomond’s Wee Kirk Market seeks vendors for 2025 season
The Ben Lomond Village Alliance (BLVA) is now accepting new vendor applications for the highly-anticipated Wee Kirk Market—an old-fashioned, fun-filled farmers and makers market debuting this summer on June 1.
Held at the historic Wee Kirk Church in the heart of Ben Lomond, this charming...
Supply chain challenges delay Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park campground reopening until 2026
California State Parks announced June 10 that the seasonal campground at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, which had been scheduled to reopen Aug. 1 following renovations, has been delayed until the 2026 camping season.
Significant supply chain disruptions pushed back the completion of essential infrastructure...
News Briefs | Published July 4, 2025
Tree removal leads to temporary closure on Big Basin Highway
Caltrans will temporarily close a section of southbound Highway 236 (Big Basin Highway) left on...